I love pass rush. You love pass rush. Duke Tobin loves pass rush. Let’s talk about this year’s top pass rushers.
Disclaimer: I have chosen to use comps in my evaluations, but they are intended only to compare the player’s play style to an NFL player and NOT their ability. Compiling a player to a Hall of Famer is not a prediction of that player’s success, nor is comping him to an underachieving player a slight on his abilities.
1. Rueben Bain – Miami 6’ 3” 275 – 21 years old
Ruben Bain is more than just an All-American coming off a 9.5 sack season; he’s a tone setter on the defensive line. He should be the top edge rusher taken and gone in the top 5, but will his short arms make him fall to 10?
Pros:
- Loves to stop the run
- Relentless motor
- Lightning-fast first step
- Explosive hips
- Has power and speed moves and can transition from one to the other
- Excellent dip-n-rip
- Hands are always moving
- Reads blocks well
Cons:
- T-Rex arms
- Takes risks and leaves his gap open
- Too many missed tackles
NFL Comp: Dwight Freeney
Bengals Projection: Bain would come in and be an immediate contributor alongside Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart. Short arms be damned. Bain is a fierce competitor who will give this defense the kick in the rear that it needs.
If he is there at 10, he is a no-brainer.
2. T.J. Parker – Clemson 6’ 3” 265 – 21 years old
Not unlike his teammate in the interior line, Tommarion (T.J.) Parker saw a steep drop off in his production last season vs a year ago. The stat sheet took a major hit with 11 sacks. 19.5 TFLs, and an incredible 6 forced fumbles turned into 5 sacks and 9.5 TFLs with no forced fumbles.
But the film tells a different story. It shows power, burst, and hand usage that will translate well to Sundays.
Pros:
- Uses long arms to extend and slap
- Physical, powerful rusher
- Nice burst off the line
- Hold a firm edge as a run defender
- Ability is to bump to 5 tech as the situation dictates
- Gets his hand on the ball and creates turnovers
Cons:
- Pass rush moves need to be developed
- Lacks closing speed
- Coming off a down year
NFL Comp: Frank Clark
Bengals Projection: Parker is a physical, versatile defensive lineman who plays the run just as well as he plays the pass. Despite a down season, he may be in the conversation at 10.
3. Akheem Mesidor – Miami 6’ 3” 265 – 25 years old
With 6 college seasons (2 at West Virginia, 2 at the U) under his belt, Akheem Mesidor is a seasoned vet, and it shows.
His 12.5 sack, 17,5 TFL season was a huge part of the Hurricanes’ success this year.
Pros:
- Excellent burst
- Tenacious pass rusher
- Well-developed pass rush moves m, power, and speed
- Excellent hip flexibility
Cons:
- 25-year-old rookie
- A bit stiff
NFL Comp: Maxx Crosby
Bengals Projection: Look, I get the age concerns, but Mesidor is no project. He is ready to go. If he somehow falls to pick 41, he would essentially be an extremely cheap free agent pickup for the Bengals. You could and should expect him to produce just like the 26 and 27-year-old free agents who are going to get $9 million a year, but you’ll be getting him for a third of that.
That’s a no-brainer.
4. Zion Young – Missouri 6’ 5” 262 – 21 years old
Zion Young enters the draft after a 16.5 TFL, 6.5 sack season. The 21-year-old has four years of experience (2 at Michigan State and 2 at Missouri) and plenty of potential still left to develop.
Pros:
- Albatross wingspan
- Wide array of pass rush moves
- Bull-dozing bull rush
- Can go power to speed
- Strong run defense
Cons:
- Get off is average and optimized with a good stance
- Has some lapses in gap discipline in pass rush
- Doesn’t always have a counter on deck
NFL Comp: Tamba Hali
Bengals Projection: Young is perhaps the most Bengals defensive end in the draft. He is a big, long dude who defends the run as well as he defends the pass. He is basically their prototypical size and just had his biggest year.
Young would be a great pick at 41 if he makes it out of Round 1. He would work in with Murphy and Stewart on a rotation.
5. David Bailey – Texas Tech 6’ 3” 250 – 22 years old
After three seasons at Stanford, David Bailey transferred to Texas Tech and blew up. Baily had a whopping 14.5 sacks and 19.5 TFLs for the Red Raiders this season.
Pros:
- Excellent burst off the edge
- Fantastic quickness and agility
- Flexible hips
- Has a big toolbox of pass rush moves
Cons:
- Shows some power and punch, but mostly a finesse rusher
- Undersized
- Struggles to defend the run atthe point of attack
NFL Comp: James Pearce Jr
Bengals Projection: Bailey has some pass-rush juice, but the style of his game is going to be hard to translate to the NFL and the AFC North in particular.
Still, he might be the first pass rusher off the board, and the Bengals may never even have a chance to consider him. Personally, I think this is a good thing, because I don’t see the fit and find him highly risky at the top of the draft.
6. Cashius Howell – Texas A&M 6’ 2” 248 – 22 years
A five-year college player (3 at Bowling Green, 2 at Texas A&M), Howell is coming off an 11.5 sack, 14 TFL season. His previous best was 9,5 sacks and 10.5 TFLs for the Falcons before he transferred and had to rotate before the Aggies NFL talent.
Pros:
- Amazing dip-n-rip
- Lightning fast off the ball
- Flexible, bendy hips
- Nice spin move
- Productive with 27 sacks in last three years
Cons:
- Runs around blocks – does not strike
- Shows effort against the run, but will struggle at point of attack
- Stance is basically standing
- Undersized
NFL Comp: Nic Bonitto
Bengals Projection: Howell will probably go in the mid to late first round and not really be on the Bengals’ radar, but man, does drafting Shemar Stewart’s backup sound like their kind of move?
Howell would work with Murphy and Stewart and bring some nice pass-rush juice as a change-up.
6. Gabe Jacas – Illinois 6’ 3” 260 – 21 years old
Jacas had two strong seasons to finish his career with the Illini, totaling 19 sacks and 26.5 TFLs in that time span.
Pros:
- Great burst off the line of scrimmage
- Shifty and agile
- Powerful hips
- Disengages and gets to the quarterback
Cons:
- Limited pass rush moves
- Lacks length
- Gets pushed around in the run game
NFL Comp: Matthew Judon
Bengals Projection: Jacas is a young player with a lot of developmental meat left on the bone.
The Bengals could pull him on Day 2 and work on his anchor and pass rush moves by using him as a rotational pass rusher.
8. Keldric Faulk – Auburn 6’ 6” 285 – 20 years old
Another player who should have come out a year earlier (even though he couldn’t). Faulk had 7 sacks and 11 TFLs in 2024, but only 2 sacks and 5 TFLs in 2025.
Pros:
- Elite run defender
- Shocks and disengages in the run game
- Hustler
- Massive frame
- Widely reported to be a great person and teammate
- Won’t turn 21 until after the season starts
Cons:
- Brings little as a pass rusher
- Stiff as a board
- Not twitchy or fast of the line
- Hand usage is inconsistent
- Plays high
NFL Comp: Margus Hunt
Bengals Projection: Faulk looks like Happy Gilmore’s boss who walked by nail gun target practice (or James Bond’s Jaws if you are a real one). He is also slow and stiff.
He could absolutely bring value to an AFC North defense, but it isn’t going to be as a pass rusher.
9. Joshua Josephs – 6’ 3” 240 – 22 years old
Joshua Josephs is coming off a 4 sack season with the Volunteers, but his tape shows potential for much more.
Pros:
- Long and fast
- Excellent hips flexibility
- Makes run stops from both the front and backside of the play
- Shocks and sheds blocks
- Plays with passion
- Excellent stunts
Cons:
- Woefully undersized
- Lacks great power as a pass rusher, but strikes and sets up moves with bull rush
- Never had more than 4 sacks in a season
- Too many missed tackles
NFL Comp: Shaka Toney
Bengals Projection: Honestly, if you are interested in David Bailey but he goes too high, I think Josephs is a much cheaper and less risky option.
He will be available on Day 2, and he could contribute as a rotational player while you look to develop his body and his pass-rush skills.
10. Nadame Tucker – Western Michigan 6’ 3” 250 – 25 years old
After three seasons at Houston, where he was a non-factor, Tucker transferred to Western Michigan, where he posted 14.5 sacks and 21 TFLs in his first and last season.
Pros:
- Has a deep bag of pass rush tricks
- Quick off the ball
- Smooth hips
- Fast hands
- Surprisingly good against the run
Cons:
- Undersized player from an undersized school
- Takes a lot of risks with his gap integrity
- Limited experience and advanced age are a less-than-ideal combination
NFL Comp: Chris Gocong
Bengals Projection: Tucker would be a wild card that you throw in on pass-rush situations.
His quickness would definitely create a change of pass that would be hard for offensive tackles to adjust to.
Tucker should be available in the third round, maybe even on Day 3 of the draft.
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